Umag
Encyclopedia
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
The city hosts the yearly Croatia Open ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
tournament on clay courts.
Geography
It is the westernmost city of Croatia, and the municipality includes SavudrijaSavudrija
Savudrija is a coastal settlement in northwestern Istria, Croatia. It has developed from a fishing village into a pleasant holiday centre. Savudrija is also the name of the surrounding area in the peninsula....
which is westernmost point of Croatia.
Demographics
Umag has a population of 7,769 (2001), total municipal population 12,901 (2001). Like many other towns in IstriaIstria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
, Umag has a multi-ethnic population. Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
comprise an absolute majority with 59.6%; Italians 18.3%, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
3.8%, Slovenes 2.2%, Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
1.7%, Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
1.3% and those regionally declared (as Istrians) make up the final 1.57%.
History
Umag was mentioned for the first time in the 7th century by an anonymous citizen from RavennaRavenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, but had already existed in Roman times. Proof of that is found in the numerous remains of Roman retreats, the so-called villa rustica
Villa rustica
Villa rustica was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a villa set in the open countryside, often as the hub of a large agricultural estate . The adjective rusticum was used to distinguish it from an urban or resort villa...
uncovered all along the coast. The town's history is closely linked to the settlement of Sipar whose ruins can be found on the narrow cape, six kilometres north of Umag. In the 9th century the fortified settlement of Sipar was devastated by invaders, the Neretva pirates. However, after this unfortunate incident Umag grew in significance thanks also to its location, a small islet separated from the mainland with a narrow channel. It was actually this location to safeguard the settlement from the continuous invasions throughout the centuries. The Roman period of relative prosperity was substituted by one of insecurity caused primarily by frequent invasions, outbreaks of plague, cholera, and malaria. The number of its dwellers declined rapidly. Umag became part of the reigns of Odoacre, Theodoric and was ruled by the Longobards too.
From 6th to 8th centuries it fell under Byzantine dominion, followed by the rule of the Lombards in 751 and Francs in 774. The period to come was marked by insecurity and frequent changes of government from the Patriarchs of Grado
Grado, Italy
Grado is a town and comune in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located on a peninsula of the Adriatic Sea between Venice and Trieste....
and Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
to the Bishops of Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
. However, the increasingly powerful Venetian Republic imposed its rule over Istria forcing Umag and other western Istrian towns to swear loyalty to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. Actually, in 1269 the Commune of Umag promised loyalty to Venice which from that time all through 1797 was to appoint governors of Umag from among its nobility. This period was by no means a peaceful one.
Century old clashes with Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
brought about more destruction and looting. In 1370 the Genovese navy attacked Umag destroying the town's archive. The outbreaks of plague that decimated the dwellers forced the Venetian authorities to consider colonising the area with new settlers, mainly from the territories threatened by Turkish invasions. Through centuries of the Venetian rule Umag's economy was exclusively based on agriculture. The harbour of Umag was utilised for loading agricultural surplus from the hinterland. Up to the collapse of Venice Umag had lived like other Istrian towns. Its communal arrangement was guaranteed in the Statute from 1541.
With the fall of the Venetian Republic, Umag, like the entire eastern Adriatic coast came under the rule of France until 1815 when it passed over to Austria until 1918. With the end of World War I Istria became part of Italy. After World War II the flaring up of the Trieste crises resulted in the establishment of the Free Territory of Trieste
Free Territory of Trieste
The Free Territory of Trieste was to be a city-state situated in Central Europe between northern Italy and Yugoslavia, created by the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath of World War II and provisionally administered by an appointed military governor commanding the peacekeeping United...
, while Umag became part of Zone B governed by the Yugoslav Army, and eventually became part of SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia in 1954. Exodus of many Italians, until then majority.
In 1993 with the establishment of the new local rule Umag became an independent municipality (općina), and in 1997 was awarded the status of town or city (grad).
Economy
The natural features of the area have considerably influenced the development of the economy as a whole. The geographical location of Umag, in particular, has ensured an intensive and dynamic growth of the tourist industry after World War II, which has been expanding rapidly ever since. The closeness of big west European markets and the rise in standard of East European countries have both accounted for the expansion of this economic branch which is tightly linked to other economic resources in the region the most significant being agriculture. The best fertile soil and the vast arable land in the area have fostered the production of traditional Mediterranean crops present in the region for thousands of years, with particular emphasis on olive growing and wine growing.The latter accounts for a successful winemaking industry and the emerging in recent years of a number of highly renowned local wine makers that can be traced in the wine chart of Istria. Linked with agriculture is the rapidly expanding tourist branch agro-tourism which has not only enriched the tourist offer but is also committed to preserving the old-world values of the region. Apart from that, mention must be made of the "Podravka
Podravka
Podravka is a food company based in Koprivnica, Croatia. It produces the rather well-known product Vegeta, amongst thousands of other products in its diverse catalogue.Podravka brands:*Vegeta and Warzywko - original condiment...
" food factory in Umag where huge quantities of tomatoes are processed. In fact, the food industry started in Umag in the early 20th century with the opening of the "Arrigoni" plant for packing fish and tomatoes and the building of a flour mill, the predecessor of today's bakery and biscuit factory.
Today new factories have grown up in two industrial zones (Ungarija and Kravlji rt), which are provided with the necessary infrastructure continuously rebuilt and enlarged. The economic growth of Umag is based on the stimulation and support of small and medium- sized firms and the establishment of business zones. For this purpose, the town authorities have set apart 355,200.00 kuna for the program aimed at stimulating the growth of agriculture and businesses for the year 2002. Besides, Umag is the founding member of the "Istarska razvojna agencija" IDA (Istrian Development Agency), with its seat in Pula.
Towns and Villages in Municipality
The list of town and villages in the municipality.
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